Why you should open a restaurant?

 When it comes to food we all have our own perceptions and ideologies. Some like it plain and simple and some like it to be extravagant. But despite of our thinking, we all can agree on one fact that food attracts everyone. And the most attractive part about food is the restaurant and hotel industry. This industry has been around for many years and it always seems to capture the attention of the outsiders. People always want to get into restaurant industry because they think it’s #glamorous. But all that glitters isn’t gold.

Restaurants and hotels have always been one of the main parameters to evaluate the growth potential of a region. If a region has good restaurants, then it means that the people there are prospering. But why does this industry seem to lucrative? (For simplicity, I will be referring to restaurants predominantly as they are more famous than hotels in my opinion) Let’s find out:

1. Restaurants are Glamorous- As I had previously mentioned, people find restaurants very glamorous. There can be many reasons behind this like they think they get free food all the time or they can flex in their social circles and impress upon them. One of the most important reason is celebrity endorsements. Restaurants have always been famous for endorsing celebrities and big brands because they have a good clientele. And this is one the most important reason as to why people enter into this industry. They also want to get close to their favourite stars/brands. But that’s not the truth. You need to have  popular restaurant first to get such endorsements. And popular restaurants aren’t built over night. It takes years and years to build a good reputation for your restaurant. It’s a really long game, if you ask me.

2. Restaurants don’t require lots of investment- Everyone generally think that restaurants are cheap to build and hence, they jump into it without much thought. But soon they realise it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Restaurants are a result of a lot of labour and love. They require constant care and you can’t just leave its operations on its own. You need to be involved into it on a daily basis. And as far as money is concerned, they require a lot of investment. The bigger the area, the bigger the investment. So be wise with your money and don’t just join the rat race.

3. Restaurants are easy to run- This is again a very common misconception when it comes to starting a successful restaurant business. People think that just building a restaurant is tough, but running it will be easy like cutting through butter. But they don’t know that thi butter is made of vibranium (strongest metal on earth, according to avengers) and you aren’t even cutting with a sharp knife. All you have is a paper knife. When I started my first restaurant, I thought how hard it can be. But within a month, I found out that this will be the toughest thing I’ll ever do. I. faced so many situations, some for the first time. And it was like going through Jurassic Park on a wheel chair. But the worst part is that this industry is highly unorganised. There is no body which overlooks the development of small restaurants. We all are on our own.

These are some of the reasons why this industry is very tough to work in. But despite these reasons, I will still choose it over any other industry. You might be thinking why. That’s because it’s really fulfilling to run a restaurant. You meet different kinds of people, you are exposed to an amazing world of cooking and you make a decent amount of money as well. But for the first timers out there, my suggestion will be to work with someone who already has some experience in this industry. Don’t just dive into a restaurant without any knowledge. Reach out to people who are willing to help you. And your journey will be a pleasant one. If you want to start a restaurant and are really serious about it, you can reach out to me at theinsatiablegourmand@gmail.com. Maybe we can reach to some conclusion and start working together, after this corona phase of course. Till then stay at home and stay safe!!!